Labeling machine



H. F. CALDWELL LABELING MACHINE Nov. 7, 1950 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 1, 1949 \nvEN'roR HARRYF. CALDWELL.

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ATTORNEYS NOV. 7, 1950 H. CALDWELL 2,528,856

LABELING MACHINE Filed Aug. 1, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A'r-roauevs Nov. 7, 1950 H. F. CALDWELL LABELING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 1, 1949 \NVENTOR HARRYF CALDWELL a a Mum ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 7, 195

LABELING MACHINE Harry F. Caldwell, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Oliver Machinery Company, Grand Rapids,

Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application August 1, 1949,-Serial No. 107,963

' '7 Claims. 1 This invention is directed to a novel and improved labeling machine.

Many articles of merchandise, particularly food products, or cartons containing the same, are wrapped in Wrapping paper for protection of the food products against unsanitary conditions. One food product, bread, is substantially universally wrapped today atthe-bakeries where produced and is not unwrapped until it is consumed. The loaves of bread orother analogous articles vary in size so that the length of wrapping paper for the different loaf sizes vary.

It is in many cases ver desirable that the wrapped articles carry labels, giving information as to the articles or their qualities, and in practice such labels are secured by cementation to the wrapping paper either before or after the wrapping is accomplished. Securing labels to articles already wrapped is disadvantageous; and with my invention the labels are attached to the wrapping paper before it is drawn into the wrapping machine, With different lengths of wrappers for different sizes of loaves of bread or other products which are to be wrapped, the positioning of the labels on the wrappers when attached thereto, so that it will be properly positioned when the wrapper has been applied to the article which is wrapped, has been a difiicult problem to overcome particularly as the wrapping should be accomplished very rapidly and eX- peditiously for purposes of economy. 7

It is an object and purpose of the present invention to providea labeling machine in which the desired labels may be permanently secured, usually by theheat cementation of a thermoplastic adhesive at one side of the label to wrapping paper as it is drawn into the wrapping machine from a continuous length of the paper in a roll which paper,in the wrapping machine, is properly cut for the lengths thereof for; the articles which are to be wrapped and with such continuous movement of the paper, at proper spaced distances in the length of the paper, labels .be attached one to each length thereof which is to be thereafter severed in the wrapping machine and used to wrap a loaf of bread or other article of merchandise. Further, to provide a labeling machine which will thus permanently and securely attach the labels in proper positions on continuousv lengths of wrapping paper and which-spacing of the labels in the wrapping paper may be controlled for different lengths of wrappers to be used, and also for different positioning of'the labels upon the paper so that -anaaccurate desired location of the label on the wrapping article is attained in the many sizes of loaves of bread, for example, or other products which are wrapped.

The labelsare also in a continuous length and are fed to the wrapper in periodic step by step movements with intervals of time between each movement, the labels being severed one at a time as needed and delivered tothe wrapping paper while it is continuously moving. With my invention it is an object and purpose that such periodic delivery to the wrapping paper at proper and accurately spaced time intervals be accomplished, so as to attain in the wrapped article a labeling and a location of each label with respect to its article at a desired position, with no sacrifice of speed of movement of the wrapping paper through the machine and with none of the .jar and shock and increase of power required which would occur if, at each attachment of a label, the paper was stopped and thereafter from its stopped position again started in movement and moved only the length of a wrapper before being again stopped for a succeeding label application.

My invention accomplishes the desired results in a very practical, relatively simple and useful manner. The invention may be understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the labeling machine of my invention located at one end of a Wrappingmachine which is fragmentarily shown in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sec- .tion of the upper portion and between the ends of the labeling machine, the section being in a vertical plane longitudinal of the wrapping machine.

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in vertical section, of the main roller and its structure of the label attaching mechanism of the machine, showing the novel structure used for supplying heat for the thermoplastic attachment of the label to the wrapping paper, and

Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sections substantially on the planes of lines 4l4 and 55 of Fig. 3, looking in the directions indicated by the arrows.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The labeling machine is located at the wrapping paper entry end of a wrapping machine, the supporting frame of which at such end of the wrapping machine is fragmentarily shown at l in Fig. 1. The frame of the labeling machine .carried'on a. upon a support above the plates 3, from which said chain extends upwardly to and over the label machine.

hastwo spaced apart vertical sides 2 connected together by cross bars in a suitable manner, the

lower end of the frame sides 2 resting upon the same floor as the lower side of the wrapping machine frame I. The frame of the labeling machine is spaced a distance back of the wrapping machine and is permanently connected thereto by connecting plates 3 permanently secured at opposite ends to the frames of the wrapping and labeling machines. 7 I

Included in the wrapping machine is a driven gear 4 near its rear end, mounted on a suitable driven cross shaft, which continuously drives an endless chain 5. The chain ti from the wheel 4 extends upwardly and over an upper change direction and idle Wheel 6. underneath the wheel 4 overa small wheel a which is mounted for vertical adjustment for' taking up slack and tensioning the chain on va slotted bar 8 bolted to the side of the frame I.

Ghain' thence directed downwardly around anxlunderneath an idle wheel 9 and therefrom and underneath and thence over a wheel I!) which is mounted on the lower portion of the frame 2 of the labeling machine, it being under- 1 :stood that all of the wheels have suitable horizontal cross shafts to which they are attached. From the wheel $9,;chain extends underneath and around and upwardly around a wheel H shaft which is suitably mounted The wrapping paper 12 to which 'theelabels are to be applied, initially in a continuous roll i3 is carried atthe backfof the label machine support 2 in a horizontal position." The-paper 'is 'un Wound from the roll, passing upwardly and over guide change direction roller id and thence downwardly underneath a second roller I5, thence upwardl over a third roller 18 which is located at substantially the same vertical height and a short distance back of the label attaching station of the mechanism hereafter described. From the roller 55 the paper is carried down.-

wardly and under and thence upwardly around the label affixing roller ill and therefrom, passes over an idle roller 58 andthence over and under respectively the succeeding rollers i9 and 21. The roller. 59 is mounted for an adjustment upon an inclined frame support connected with. the From underneath the roller 2| the paper passes through upper and lower roll- .ers 22 (Fig. l) on its way to the bread wrapping machine. During its passage through the labeling machine the labels are attached, so that in the process of wrapping the bread in the wrapping machine, the papcr iscut across to provide the necessary length for a wrapper and, with a The chain 5 passes label attached, is wrapped around the bread or other article which is to be wrapped.

The roller '5 is maee'zcnnrtwc: halves (Fig. 3) which are affixed to a shaft 23, each end of each half of the roller having aprojecting lu'g 2d. The lugs at each end of the two part roller are releasably clamped together to fix the roller on the shaft. Shaft 28 is in alignment with a second shaft 25. Shaft 25 carries a sleeve 26, one end of which projects beyond the end of the shaft 25, slotted in one side. Shaft 23 enters the projecting end of the sleeve and has a headed screw 2? (Fig. 4) which is received in the-slot of the sleeve to thereby, in effect,, clutch. connect the shafts together. On the shaft 25 a chain wheel 28 is secured which is driven by an endless chain 29 (Fig. 1) from a driving wheel 36 on the same shaft as the wheel II, which wheel is driven from the wheel 4 of the bread wrapping machine.

The outer ends of the shaft 23 are mounted in suitable bearingsv on and between the ends of levers or bars 3 l* which have a rocking mount at their upper ends upon a cross shaft 32 between the side 2 of the label frame, and extend downwardly and toward the bread wrapping machine. At their lower free ends they carry adjusting screws 33 the heads of which bear against the frame sides 2 for an adjustable change of position. Between the rollers It and il a plate 3A, extending substantially from one to the other, is mounted on a shaft 35 so that it may be adjusted to follow the positions of the roller ll. Above this plate and to one side of the roller i! are grooved rollers 36' and'31, the roller 3B-being mounted on the shaft 32'. The groovesin the rollers 36 and 3'! are of the same depth as the grooves 39 in roller I l, shown as two in number (Fig. '3). Endless belts 38 in the form of continuous coiled wire springs pass around the several rollers 3E, 31 and I! and are driven by the roller I! so that the lower run of the belt moves in the same direction as the movement of the wrapping paper l2 and at the same speed of movement. T I

A heating element 40, which is electrically heated, is mounted in one side of the two-part roller It as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it having an outer surf-aceof the same curvature; as the outer surface of the roller and also having grooves corresponding to 3%}. A conductor 4 I for conducting electric current'to the heating element" is connected at one end with said element andextends beyond an end of the roller ll to a plug i2"which has a detachable connectionwith a socket 43 housed in a housing 44, the socket and its housing beingsecured to and rotating with the shaft 25. V j

The shaft 25 at one end extends through its supporting arm 33 in which it has rotatable mounting and through a bracket 4'5 which has a horizontal lower portion and avertical outer end portion in which a bearingis located for the end 'of the' shaft 25. A. collar 46 of insulatingmate rial is fixed to the shaft 25 beyond the adjacent arm 3!, on which are two metal rings 41 spaced from each other, from which wires t and #9 lead to the opposite sides cf'the socket 33'. The

wires forthe conducting of current to the wires '5] thence to the brushes 59, the collars 37' and the two Wires 'B'and E9 to the socket" Shaft 25 is longitudinally grooved and in the groove the two 'wires 4'8 and 49 are located (Figs. 3 and The brushes 52 are carried bysuit'atbl msulating supports 53 and a sheet metal housing 55 covers the mechanism described.

The labels are in a continuous strip 56 which, in a roll, are carried by a reel 51 at the upper end of the labeling machine. The strip passes under an idle and guide roller 58 and then over a drum 59 which; as shown in Fig. 2", has projections extending therefrom to engage with notches or openings in the label in accordance with the usual or well known method. of moving :paper in lengths used. not only in labeling matchines, but in winding and unwinding reel films and the like. From the under side of the roller 59 (Fig. 5) the label strip passes between upper and lower rollers 60 and 6|, and thence over a bar 62 to a roller63 which is directly underneath the previously described roller 31. The bar 52 serves as a cutter bar in association with a movable blade 54 which is periodically actuated to sever the label strip transversely and cut from it successive labels 65. The mechanism for actuating the blade is not shown as it is old and well known in labeling machines for the same general purpose as the present machnie. On the same shaft as the roller 59, a wheel 66 is secured which has radial vanes extending therefrom. A chain 68 is driven from a wheel Illa, on the same shaft as the wheel l0, passes around an upper wheel 69 to drive it, on which'is a disk 18 having pins projecting therefrom at opposite sides of the axis of rotation for engaging with the vanes 6? to turn the wheel 66 at periodic spaced apart intervals. The Geneva movement disclosed is one of the several forms of Geneva movement Which may be used, such periodic turning'of one shaft and whatever is connected with it from a shaft which is rotating continuously by a Geneva movement being well known.

It is apparent that, with the driving wheel 4 from the bread wrapping machine driving the shaft on which the rollers l and [0a are mounted continuously, the labels are unwound from the reel 5'! at spaced intervals of time. -The design of the'mechanism is such that with each turning of the wheel 66 and the drum 5!! on the same shaft therewith, the length of a label is unwound from the reel 51 and upon the severing of the label by the knife 64, the severed label 65 is gripped by the rollers 63 and 3'8 and carried to the paper, bears thereagainst and is held against the paper by the spring belts 38 during all of the time of its passage from roller l6 until it leaves the roller l1.

Theroller i9 is adjustable lengthwise of the frame at 29 to different positions one being shown in Fig. l and one in Fig. 2. The frame ini.-

succession from the end of the label strip. 56.

Each label when severed is moved by the rollers 31 and 63 between the continuous length of wrapping paper [2 and the lower runs of the belts 38, such belts hold the labels against changing position on the wrapping paper after delivery to it.

As the movement of the paper l2 continues, the labels are brought in succession with the roller I1, and heat is supplied from the heating element 40 directly to one side of the label, the opposite side of which, being coated with a thermoplastic cementitious material, such material is softened and the label is securely cemented to the paper. Such labels therefore are equally spaced distances from each other in the length of the continuous length of wrapping paper 12, which paper with the attached labels goes to the wrapping machine where it is severed transversely in proper lengths to provide wrappers for articles which are to be wrapped, each length of paper comprising the wrapper for an article having a label attached thereto. 1

The roller H, in the use of the machine, may be interchanged for one of a larger or smaller diameter. The shaft 23 with the roller secured thereto is readily removed by a lengthwise movement of the shaft after disconnection of the plug d2 from the socket 43. Either the roller onthe shaft 23 may be replaced by another having a different diameter, or there may be assemblies of identical shafts 23 with rollers of differing diameters and heating elements, one roller secured to each of the separate shafts 23. When a different size'of roller is put in the machine, the plate 34 is tilted on rod 35 to occupy the same relative position to the different roller I! and the paper 50.. As the rotative speed of the shaft 23 remains constant, and one label is attached to the wrapping paper with each revolution of the roller l1, it is apparent that different diameters and circumferences of the rollers provide for different lengths of wrapper for the articles to be wrapped. The adjustment of arms 3! by screws 33 is for properly positioning the roller shaft and shaft 25 to parallel the other shafts i5, 32, etc. T

The adjustment of the roller l9 upon its car rying frame 2!? is for properly locating each label upon its respective length of wrapping paper which is to be out from the continuous length of paper for wrapping an article in the wrapping machine. A loaf of bread for example should have the label located as centrally as possible at the upper side of the loaf between opposite sides. Such adjustment of the roller is will vary the position of a label on the paper as it enters the wrapping machine, and such variation or differences in positionmay be adjusted and controlled so that the label will appear on the wrapped article at the place desired.

The rotation of the electric current carrying mechanism with the roller IT and the breaking or completion of the circuit provided by the plug 52 and socket 43 insures that the heating element 49 shall be heated at all times by the current supplied and that the roller I! may be replace by others when needed. 1

The construction described is novel'and very useful, and there'is eliminated any shock or jar of periodic stopping and the overcoming of inertia by starting the label machine in operation after such stopping. The maximum attachment of the labels to the wrapping paper in a given time is obtained. I

'The invention is, defined in theappended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I; claim:

1. In a structure as described, a support adapted to be connected with and located at one end of a wrapping machine, a horizontal roller mounted on said support, means for continuously driving said roller, means for conducting and. carrying wrapping paper mounted on said support to and partly around said roller and away therefrom, means driven by the same driving means which drives the roller for periodically supplying labels one at a time to said moving wrapping paper at equally spaced distances in the length thereof a short distance from and prior to the wrapping paper reaching said roller, and a heating element mounted on said roller synchronized in movement to bear against each label as the paper and labels thereagainst moves around said roller, said labels carrying each an 7. adhesive at the sides thereof against the paper, rendered adhesive by the application of heat.

2. Aistructure as defined inclaim 1, endless belts around said roller, additional rollers spaced from said first mentioned roller around which said belts pass, and a support over which the paper moves located adjacent the first roller and extending away therefrom over which the paper and belts pass, the labels being delivered to the wrapping paper between it and said belts to hold the labels against change of position on the paper.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2, said roller and additional rollers having grooves in which said belts seat, and said belts being of a coiledv wire elastic construction, and said heating element extending to the surface of the first roller and having grooves therein in alignment with the grooves in said roller, whereby the outer surface of said heating element presses against the labels in succession as they come to said heating element.

4. A structure as defined in claim 1, a shaft on which said roller is fixed, an aligned driven shaft to which the roller shaft is detachably connected, said heating element being electrically heated, a cable having a connecting plug thereon connected to and supplying electric current to the heating element, a socket mounted on the driven shaft to which said plug has detachable connection, rings mounted on and insulated from the driven shaft, electrical connections between roller, means for directing: and guiding a continuous length of wrapping paper on said support and directing said wrapping paper in a downwardly inclined direction underneath the roller and around it and thence in an inclined direction upwardly and away therefrom, a plate having one end located adjacent said roller extending therefrom in an upwardly inclined direction, over which said paper moves to the roller, means for periodically delivering labels in succession to the upper side of the paper at spaced distances in the length thereof, each at a short distance from said roller, movable means moving at the same speed of movement as-said paper engaging said labels and holding them against the paper until the roller is reached, a heating element mounted on said'roller and having a surface concentric with the surface of said roller against which said label is pressed by the paper, electric means for heating said heating element, and means for conducting electric current to said heating element while the roller is rotating.

6. In a labeling machine, a support having spaced sides, a roller between said sides of the. support, a shaft extending through the roller, a second shaft in alignment with the first shaft, detachably connected therewith, a-heating element carried by said roller and having a curved surface'at its outer portion of the same are of the curvature and of a continuation of the surface of said roller, means for supplying said heating element with electric current, means for guiding and carrying wrapping paper to and over a position spaced a short distance from the under portion of the roller, and therefrom under the roller and upwardly around it and thence upwardly and away from the roller, means for depositing a label on said wrapping paper with each rotation of said roller in a position to be located between the paper and said heating element while the paper is in engagement with said roller, and means for driving said second shaft to thereby drive said roller through the connection of its shaft with the second shaft.

7. A structure as defined in claim 6, said second shaft having two rings connected with and electrically insulated therefrom, brushes engaging one against each of said rings, current sup-' plying conductors connected one with each brush, and plug and socket connections one connected with the heating element and the other'with' said second shaft for detachably connecting said heating element with sa d rings.

HARRY 'F. CALDWELL.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V 1 l v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

